Podcasts from: Unsealed, The Letters of Bess of Hardwick
Dukes and spies; queens and servants; friends and lovers - all of the Elizabethan world populates the letters of Bess of Hardwick. Bess herself wrote hundreds of letters throughout her life: they were her lifeline to her travelling children and husbands, to the court at London, and to news from the world at large.
The exhibition Unsealed: The Letters of Bess of Hardwick, previously shown at National Trust Property Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire (April 2011-November 2012) and The National Archives, Kew (November 2012-February 2013), lets Bess and her correspondents tell their stories in their own words.
The Podcasts
Click on a link to hear a podcast.
- The Many Faces of Bess of Hardwick (5:32)
- Who's Who in Bess's Address Book (6:33)
- Details on Lifestyle (3:55)
- Stories from Bess's Bedchamber (6:42)
- A Peek into Bess's Parcels (5:13)
- Unsealed: A Look Behind the Scenes (11:53)
Characters
- Frances Cobham played by Catherine Emmott
- Frances Pierrepont played by Sophie Holmes
- Elizabeth Wingfield played by Carole Hough
- Bess of Hardwick played by Kathryn Lowe
- Arbella Stuart played by Imogen Marcus
- James Montague played by Andrew Prescott
- Queen Elizabeth I played by Bryony Randall
- George, 6th earl of Shrewsbury played by David Simmons
- Mary, queen of Scots played by Jennifer Smith
- Richard Topcliffe played by Jeremy Smith
- Narrator played by Anke Timmermann
- Henry Cavendish played by Thomas White
All podcasts were written and produced by Anke Timmermann.
Supported by The University of Glasgow and The National Trust.
Funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council.
You can also download a bookmark and postcard about the exhibition.